Fuel-burning apparatus.



No. 796,899. I PATENTED AUG.8,1905.

0. J. COLEMAN.

FUEL BURNING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20, 1904. v

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C. J. COLEMAN.

FUEL BURNING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20 1904.

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fltzfig if? zkzessesg WZ/ KM PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

O. J. COLEMAN.

FUEL BURNING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20, 1904.

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PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

, 0. J. COLEMAN. FUEL BURNING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 20, 1904.

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Inventor:

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLYDE J. COLEMAN, OF ROCKAVVAY, NEW JERSEY. ASSIGNOR TO CLAR- ENCE WV.COLEMAN, OF WESTFIELD, NEWV JERSEY.

FUEL-BURNING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

Application filed July 20, 1904:. Serial No. 217,414.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLYDE J. COLEMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rockaway, in the county of Morris and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fuel-BurningApparatus,

of which the following is a specification, ref-,

, nal point of ignition, and an automatic wickfeeding apparatuscooperative with the wick to move, feed, or draw the wick through theseat of combustion, such automatic wick-feeding apparatus being actuatedcommensurately to the consumption of the fuel.

My invention also includes a controllingfloat buoyed on the fluid fueland feeding the wick responsively to variations in the fluidfuel level.

My invention also includes a tapering wick or wick of graduated orvarying cross-sectional area and a means for feeding the tapering wickto the flame, so as to increase the mean cross-sectional area of thatportion of the wick which leads to the flame from the source of fluidfuel. Such an increase in the mean cross-sectional area of that portionof the fuel-wick which is available to convey fluid fuel from the sourceto the flame increases the capillary conductance or conveying capabilityof the fuel-wick, so as to compensate or partially compensate for theincrease in distance of capillary convection due to consumption of thefluid fuel and consequent lowering of its level. This feature of'myinvention may be advantageously embodied in a wick having aninterterminal or non-terminal point of ignition, such as alreadydescribed, and may be very advantageously embodied in combination withautomatic Wick-feeding means, in which embodiment the variation of meancross-sectional area of the fluid-conveying section of the wick willautomatically compensate or counteract the variation in distanceofcapillary convection.

Pursuantto the broad purpose already men tioned, my inventioncomprehends, broadly, the combination of a fuel-wick, a float buoyed onthe fluid fuel, which feeds the wick, and motion-multiplying meansarranged to transmit wick-feeding motion from the float to the Wick andto multiply or increase the wickfeeding motion thus transmitted. Thisfeature of my invention can be very advantageously embodied with thewick having a nonterminal ignition-point, and such is the embodimentillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

My invention also broadly comprehends, in combination with the wickhaving a nonterminal point of ignition and means for drawing and guidingthe wick through the seat of combustion, a yielding tension devicecooperative with the fuel-wick and maintaining a proper tension thereonby pulling back against the force which feeds the wick, and therebyrestraining a too free movement of the wick.

My invention has one very important application in its adaptation torailway signallights, such as switch-lights and block-signal lights.Generally such railway signal-lights are distantly isolated from anycommon center of maintenance, being sometimes located, for instance, atvarious successive and distant points along a railway-line, andheretofore much difficulty, expense, and uncertainty has been involvedin the maintenance of such lamps which by the essential nature of theirfunctions are required to burn brightly and steadily for long intervalsof time. The sigcal-lights such as have been heretofore gen erally usedhave been liable to dimming or extinguishment by incrustation of charupon the lamp-wicks and by various other causes when left to burn for along time without personal attendance, and this situation has given risenot only to considerable hazard in the possibility of signal-lightfailure, but also to much trouble and expense in personal attendanceupon the lamps.

In its application to railway signaling purposes it is the object of myinvention to provide a railway signal-light which will steadfastly burnfor a long period of time and without personal attendance and which willthus add greatly to the safety and economy of the signal-light regime ofrailroads generally.

To these ends my invention comprises various forms of the automatic lampand automatic flame-controlling or flame-regulating apparatus which havealready been generally pointed out.

My invention comprehends also various other features which appear in thefollowing particular description so clearly that they need not beenumerated at this point.

The accompanying drawings illustrate various particular embodiments ofmy broad invention which have been especially designed for railwaysignaling purposes, although it will of course be apparent that they areavailable for diverse uses.

I will now specifically describe those exempliiications of my broadinvention which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and willthereafter point out the novel features of my invention in a series ofclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevational assembly of arailway signalpost and one form of my automatic railway signal-lampmounted thereon, the lamp being,

shown partially in middle section and the View being taken from a pointin rear of the signal-post. As shown in this figure, the fueloil of thelamp is partially consumed. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse centralsectional elevation of the lamp proper comprised in the apparatus shownin Fig. 1, the view-point in Fig. 2 being the same as that of Fig. 1,but Fig. 2showing the condition of theapparatus before any considerableportion of the fueloil therein has been consumed. Fig. 3 is a centralsectional elevation of the upper portion of the lamp proper shown inFig. 2, but taken from a view-point to the right of Fig. 2. Fig. i is alongitudinal central sectional view of a portion ofthe lamp-wickemployed in the apparatus shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Fig. 5 is acentral sectional elevation of another form of lamp proper in which myinvention may be embodied. Fig. 6 is a central sectional elevation ofthe upper portion of the lamp proper shown in Fig.5, but taken from aview-point to the right of Fig.

'5. Fig. 7 is a central sectional elevation of still anotherconstruction of automatic lamp in which my invention may be embodied.Fig. 8 is a central sectional elevation of the upper portion of theautomatic lamp shown in Fig. 7, but taken from a view-point to the leftof Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a detail elevation of one of the depending bearingsfor the shaft of the wick-wheel of the lamp shown in Figs. 7 and 8, andthis detail view is taken from a view-point to the right of Fig. 8.

Each of the lamps illustrated in the drawings comprises a sheet-metaloil-can or oiltank 2, which may be of cylindrical form and which islnclosed within a suitable casing 3 of suflicient mechanical rigidity toprotect the sheet-metal can from being dented or bentin the operationsof handling, refilling, &c. This casing 3 is preferably made ofheat-insulating material for the purpose which has already beenmentioned. 'In each construction illustrated in the drawings the oil-can2 is provided at its upper end with a removable cover 4:, convex on itsupper side and provided with a cylindrical flange 4, which is insertedwith a tight spring fit into the upper end of the oil-can. In theconstruction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the tank-cover 4 isprovided with suitable handles, such as 4. v This construction employs alamp-wick 5, of circular cross-section and of gradually-taperingdiameter and having a central .core 5 of relatively small diameter andof strong non-combustible material, .such as a metallic wire. Thislamp-wick passes over a concave guiding-groove in the edge of therounded upper end of a flat vertical wick-guide 7. which projectsupwardly through a slot 8 in the upper end of a burner-dome 4E",integrally formed upon the center of the tank-cover 4c. The lower end ofthe flat vertical wick-guide 7 is formed integrally with a horizontalguidesupporting bridge 7, which spans the bottom of the burner-dome andis riveted at either end to the under side of the tank-cover by rivets7". The flat wick-guide 7 projects upwardly from the center of thisguide supporting bridge and passes through the slot in the burner-domewith asuflEicient clearance around the grooved edge of the wick-guide topermit free passage of the lamp-wick 5 over the top thereof. The smallerend 5 of the lamp-wick or the end of lesser diameter is detachablysecured to an anchor-eye 7, integrally formed upon and depending fromthe center of the wick-guide bridge 7. From its anchoragein the eye 7the wick passes vertically downward and under a float-pulley 9,rotatively mounted in an opening 11 in the wick-feeding float 11 andupon a suitable bearingbracket 10, secured to the float. The wickfeedingfloat is preferably made in an outline corresponding substantially tothe plan outline of the lamp-tank, but of sufficiently smallerdimensions to afford ample clearance between the edges of the float .andthe inner sides of the tank. For instance, when the tank is cylindricalin form the wick-feeding float will preferably be disk-shaped and of adiameter somewhat less than the inner diameter of the tank. Passingunder the float-pulley 9 the lamp-wick is immersed in the oil 14:,contained in the lamp-tank, and thence extends upward and passes betweenone upright edge of the flat wick-guide 7 and a ten sion-spring 12, oneend of which is riveted to the under side of the tank-cover L and theother end of which projects upward into the burner-dome and presseslightly upon the side of the lamp-wick. Thence the lamp-wick passes overthe edge of the upper or rounded end of the wick-guide 7, being guidedand held in position by the concave groove in such edge, and thencepasses downward between the opposite upright edge of the wick-guide andanother tension-spring 13, mounted similarly to the tension-spring 12,but upon the opposite side of the wick-guide and pressing lightly uponthe lamp-wick'at a point opposite the point of engagement of thetensionspring 12. Thence the lamp-wick hangs downward through theopening 11 in the wick-feeding float 11 and is immersed in the fuel-oil14, contained within the lamp-tank. The burner-dome is surmounted by aburnerflue 6 of ordinary design. The wick-feeding float 11 is adapted'tofloat upon the surface of the fuel-oil and falls as the level of thefueloil is lowered by consumption. The float may be restrained fromtorsional or angular displacement by means of a slotted guidefinger 16,the slot of which straddles a vertical guide-bar l'T, secured to theinner side of the'lamp-tank 2. The lamp-tank is provided with a suitablehandle, such as 15. hen it is desired to refill the lamp-tank with oilor to replace the lamp-wick, the tank-cover4 may be removed by means ofits handles 4* so as to give free access to the tank and its float,wick, and accessory parts contained therein. Figs. 2 and 3 show theelevation of the oil 14 and of the wick-feeding float 11 just after thelamp-tank has been refilled. After refilling the tank the wick isignited at the point where it passes over the upper edge of the flatwickguide 7. The heat of combustion continuously volatilizes thefuel-oil in the wick at or near the point of ignition, and thevolatilized fuel continuously passes 01f into and feeds the flame, whilethe wick, by capillary attraction, continuously draws oil from the tankto replace the volatilized fuel as rapidly as it is consumed. Since thefloat-pulley 9 and that portion of the lamp-wick which passes under itare immersed in the oil, the flame will be fed by convection of oilthrough that section of the wick extending from the pulley to one sideof the wick-guide and one side of the flame as well as through thatsection of the wick extending from the other side of the wick-guide andflame downward through the opening 11 of the float and into the oiltank.Thus fuel-oil will be fed to the flame by capillary action of the wickthrough two distinct and separate paths approaching the flame fromopposite sides thereof. As the fuel is consumed its level graduallyfalls, so that the float is gradually lowered and the downward pull ofthe float-pulley working in the depending loop of the lamp-wick drawsthat portion of the wick extending from the pulley over the wick-guideand thence down into the oil-tank, over the guiding edge of theguide-wick and at a linear rate double the linear rate at which thefloat'falls. The slight retarding tendency of the tension-springs 12 and13 bearing upon the sides of thelamp-wick prevents the lamp-wick fromrunning too freely and prevents the accumulation of undesirable slacktherein. As the oil-level falls and the wick is drawn over the guidingedge of the wick-guide, the charred or partially burned portion of thelamp-wick which has passed through or underneaththe flame or the basethereof is removed from the base of the flame or seat of combustion,together with all the char and other impediment to combustion which mayhave collected thereon, and fresh wicksurface is continuously drawn intothe base of the flame or seat of combustion, as that portion of thelamp-wick depending from the wick-guide through the float and into theoiltank is drawn over the wick-guide. Also as the float and itsfloat-pulley fall and draw the free end or larger end of the taper wickover the guiding edge of the wick-guide the feeding-sections of thelamp-wick or those sections extending from opposing sides of thewickguide downward into the fuel-oil are continuously replaced byfeeding-sections of greater cross-sectional area, so as to continuouslyincrease'the cross-sectional feeding capacity of the lamp-wick as thelowering of the oil-level increases the length of such feeding-sectionsor the distance through which they are required to conduct the oil tothe flame. The feeding action of the float upon the lamp-wick is aptlyillustrated in Fig. 1, which shows the condition of the apparatus afterthe oil-level has fallen nearly to the bottom of the oil-tank. Thisfigure shows the lamp-flame 28 projecting upward from the ignitedportion of the lampwick and also shows the organization of theautomaticlamp proper with a railway signal-post 21, upon which may bemounted suitable railway signal-indicating means, such as asignal-semaphore. Such a semaphore, however, is not shown in thisfigure. It may be pivotally mounted upon a suitable semaphore-bearing,such as 22, and it will be provided with col ored signal-lightspectacles cooperating with the signal-lamp in a well-known manner. Thelamp proper is secured and located by retaining-clips, such as 26,within a suitable outer box or casing, such as 24:. This casing is provided with a suitable reflector, such as 27, and with a lens (not shownin the drawings) and has a door, such as 25, giving access to theinterior of the casing for removal and adjustment of the lamp proper andfor similar purposes. The casing is provided with a vertical pocket openat its lower end and adaptedto receive the outer and upwardlyprojectingleg of a U-shaped bracket 23, the inner leg of which is suitably securedto the signal-post 21. The continuous presentation of fresh wick-surfaceto the flame as the oil is consumed enables the lamp to burn a muchgreater quantity of oil and for a much longer period of time than wouldotherwise be possible without personal attendance. When the oil in thelamp-tank has been consumed and when the attendant refills thelamp-tank, the lamp-wick may be cleaned by hand and reused several timesuntil it is too much burned for further use, or a new lamp-wick may besubstituted by the attendant each time the oil-tank is refilled. In theevent of the former practice the noncombustible wick-core 5 insureslinear intactness of the wick, so as to effectually prevent breakagethereof, due to excessive burning, and such non-combustible wick-corelikewise insures intactness of the wick when the wick is used but onetime, although in the latter case the chance or possibility of breakingthe wick is at the most very remote. It

will be noted that the tension-spring or retarding-spring 12, whichmaintains a proper tension of the automatically-fed wick, may be soadjusted in its pressure upon the side of the wick that as the wickleaves the seat of combustion or burner proper and rubs against thespring 12 the wick-char will be scraped from the wick by its rubbingaction against the spring, which will thereby automatically scrape orclean the wick as it is fed or carried downward toward the wick feedingfloat. This wick-scraping action in this particular instance is not aburner-clearing action, since the wick and its char are already removedfrom the seat of combustion when the char is scraped from the wick; butthe scraping operation serves to automatically clean the wick andprepare it for reuse after refilling the oiltank, as mentioned in theforegoing paragraph, thus obviating or reducing the expenditure of timeand labor in cleaning the wick by hand. It will be noted that thefeeding movement of the lamp-wick depends directly upon the feedingmovement of the wick-feeding float, which in turn depends directly uponthe rate of fuel consumption, so that the feeding movement of the wickis always directly proportionate to and must always vary with the rateof fuel consumption. Should the rate of fuel consumption be varied byvarying temperature or atmospheric conditions or by variations in thequality or grade of oil with which the lamp-tank is filled, the rate offeed ing the wick would vary consequently and proportionately.Forinstance, should the oil burn more rapidly the wick would be morerapidly fed to the flame and should the oil burn less rapidly the wickwould be less rapidly fed to the flame.

That embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 is similarto the embodiment shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, excepting in theparticulars which will now be pointed out with respect to theconstruction of Figs. 5 and 6. This construction employs a flatlamp-wick, such as 5", passing over the top of a vertical flatwick-guide 7, located within and extending transversely and horizontallyacross the burner-dome 4 and secured at its opposing ends to the innersides of such burner-dome. The upper horizontal edge of the wick-guide 7is located in and parallel with a wick-slot 8 in the'top of theburnerdome. Clearance between the upper edge of the wick-guide and theopposing sides of the wick-slot in the burner-dome is suflicient toafford free passage of the lamp-wick. The portion of the lamp-wickdepending from one side of the wick-guide 7 passes through the opening11 in the wick-feeding float 11 and at its lower end is anchored to suchwickfeeding float by means of an anchor-pin 5, which is inserted throughan eye formed in the wick end and passes across the lower end of theopening 11 in the float and through the eyes of suitablesupporting-brackets, such as 23, riveted to the bottom of the float andsupporting opposite ends of the anchor-pin. This arrangement enables thefloat to pull down on that section of the wick to which the anchor-pinis fastened. This anchored end of the lamp-wick is immersed in the oil,and from its anchor-pin the wick extends upward and passes between oneside of the wick-guide 7 d and a tension-spring 12, riveted at one endto the under side of the tank-cover adjacent to the burner-dome andextending up into the burner-dome and pressing lightly against the flatside of the lamp-wick. Thence the lampwick extends upward and throughthe wickslot 8 in the burner-dome and over the horizontal upper edge ofthe wick-guide,and thence downward through the wick-slot and between theopposite side of the wick-guide and an opposite tension-spring13,mounted similarly to the tension-spring 12 and similarly pressinglightly upon the lamp-wick at the opposite side of the wick-guide. Fromsuch opposite side of the wick-guide the lamp-wick hangs downward,passing through the opening 11 in the wick-feeding float 11 and into theoil 14, contained in the oil-tank 2. The wick is ignited at the pointwhere it passes through the wick-slot in the burner-dome and overtheupper horizontal edge of the wickguide 7, and the base of the flame 18or the seat of combustion is disposed in a line of ignition which liestransverse to the length of the lamp-wick rather than longitudinallywith the'lamp-wick, as in the case of the construction illustrated inFigs. 1 to 4, inclusive.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 the flat lamp-wick 5also feeds the flame from both ends of the lamp-wick, and as the oil 14is consumed by combustion the wickfeeding float 11 is lowered by thefall of the oil-level and gradually but continuously draws the lamp-wickover its wick-guide and through the seat of combustion or underneath thebase of the flame 18; but in this instance, since there is no device formultiplying the movement of the lamp-wick relative to the movement ofits wick-feeding float, the lamp-wick is drawn over its wick-guide andthrough the flame at a rate of linear movement which is the same as therate at which the float is lowered.

It will be noted that either in that form of my invention illustrated inFigs. 2 and 3 or in that form shown in Figs. 5 and6 the available fuelcapacity of the apparatus, and consequently the time during which thelamp will burn without attendance, is limited by the permissible depthof the oil-tank and by its permissible lateral area or capacity. Thedepth of the oil-tank is in turn limited by the practicable distance orelevation through which the fuel can be effectually conveyed by the wickto the flame when the fuellevel reaches its lowest point, and thelateral area or capacity of the tank is limited by the requirement thatthe consumption of a unit quantity of fuel must effect a certainlowering of the fuel-level and wick-feeding float in order to feed thewick a certain linear amount necessary to remove the wick-char producedby the burning of the said unit quantity of fuel. As a comparisonbetween the structure of Figs. 2 and 3 and the structure of Figs. 5 and6 it may be said that when a relatively small fuel and time capacity isdesired the structure of Figs. 5 and 6 may be employed, and the lateralarea or capacity of the fuel-tank may be so limited that the consumptionof a unit or given quantity of fuel will lower the fuel-level andwick-feeding float sufliciently to effect the required linear feed ofthe fuel-wick and without a motion-multiplying device, such as that ofFigs. 2. and 3; but if a comparatively large and long fuel capacity andtime capacity are desired'the construction of Figs. 2 and 3 may beemployed, and the lateral area or capacity of the fuel-tank may beincreased or doubled, so as to reduce or halve the amount of drop in thefuel-level and float per unit of fuel consumption, in which case themotion-multiplying device will double the linear feeding movement of thewick relative to the rate at which the float falls, so as to compensatefor the aforementioned reduction in ratio of float fall to fuelconsumption.

That embodiment ofmy invention shown in Figs. 7 to 9, inclusive, is inthe matter of construction a considerable departure from the embodimentsillustrated in the preceding figures. This construction employs acircular Wick 5, removabl y clamped between wickclamping plates 5 and 5and thus mounted upon a rotatable wick-spindle 5, which is in turnrotatably and removably mounted in the depending hook-shaped ends of thespindlebrackets 5 and 5 riveted at their upper ends to the inside of theburner-dome 4!. A small wick-actuating drum 5 is secured to thewickspindle. The inner end of this drum abuts against the inner face ofthe inner wickclamping plate 5 while the outer face of the outerwick-clamping plate 5 is engaged by a clamping-nut 5 screwed upon oneend of the wickspindle and servingto press the clampingplate 5 firmlyagainst its adjacent side of the circular wick 5 and thus bind thecircular wick firmly in place between its two clamping-plates. Awick-actuating string or wire 5 is secured at one end to the inner endof the wickactuating drum 5 and is wound upon such wick-actuating drumand has its free end depending therefrom and secured at its lowerextremity to an anchor-lug 11 riveted to the top of the wick-feedingfloat 11 The circular wick 5 is fed by a vertical stationary feedwick 19of comparatively large cross-sectional area. The upper end 19 of thefeed-wick 19 bears and rubs upon the periphery of the circular wick 5*at the under side of the circular wick and is secured in asupporting-bracket 20, riveted to the inside of the tank-cover 4. Thefeed-wick 19 conveys oil to the under side of the circular lamp-wick 5and the oil is thence conveyed by capillary action to the upper side ofthe circular lamp-wick, which rotates in a wick-slot i in the upper sideof the burner-dome 4: The circular lamp-wick is ignited at the pointwhere it is exposed in the wick-slot of the burner-dome. The oil is thenconsumed by combustion and its level lowered, thus gradually butcontinuously 10wering the float, which continuously pulls down upon thewick-actuating string 5, so as to continuously rotate the wick-actuatingdrum 5 and the circular wick. As the circular wick is rotated thatportion of its periphery which has passed through or underneath the baseof the flame is gradually but continuously removed from the seat ofcombustion and fresh wick-surface is gradually but continuously movedinto the seat of combustion to take its place. The peripheral portion ofthe circular wick which has passed through the flame is rotated downthrough the space within the burner-dome and the tank-cover until itwipes over the top of the feed-wick 19. The rubbing action between thecircular wick and the feed-wick removes the char and other impediment tocombustion from the periphery of the circular wick. Each time thelamptank is refilled a new wick may be put into place, if desired.

lamp-wick, the wick-spindle 5 is removed from its hook-shapedsupporting-brackets 5 and 5 The wick-clamping nut 5" is then removedfrom the end of the wick-spindle, whereupon the wick-clamping plate 5and the circular wick may be withdrawn therefrom and a new circular wicksubstituted and readily clamped in place by means of the clamping-plateand clamping-nut.

dle may then be readily reinserted in its hookshaped bearing-brackets.

To remove the burned The wick-spin- It will be apparent that myinvention may be embodied in diversely-modified forms and arrangementsof construction and may be applied to diverse and numerous uses without.however, in any wise exceeding or departing from its present scope,spirit, and intent.

What I now claim as my invention, and desire to secure by United StatesLetters Patcut, is

1. A wick-lamp comprising a wick exposed to the seat of combustion at anon-terminal point of ignition, and automatic means actuatedcommensurately to fuel consumption, for shifting the wick relative tothe seat of combustion to vary the non-terminal point of ignition.

2. Fuel-burning apparatus comprising a source of fluid fuel, a wickhaving a non-terminal point of ignition, and automatic wickfeedingapparatus cooperative with the wick to shift it with respect to thepoint of ignition and including a controlling-float buoyed by the fluidfuel in the source.

3. Fuel-burning apparatus comprising a source of fluid fuel, a fuel-wickcommunicating with the source of fluid fuel and exposed to the base ofthe flame at a non-terminal point of ignition, and a wick-feeding floatbuoyed upon the fluid fuel in the fluid-fuel source and cooperative withthe fuel-wick to draw it with a continuous and unremitting movementthrough the base of the flame.

4:. Fuel-burning apparatus comprising a source of fluid fuel, afuel-wick communicating therewith at two points on the wick and exposedto the seat of combustion at a point between such two points offluid-fuel communication, and a wick-feeding apparatus cooperative withthe fuel-wick to draw it through the seat of combustion and comprising acontrolling-float buoyed by the fluid fuel in the fluid-fuel source.

5. A wick-lamp comprisingasource of fluid fuel, wick-feeding means, anda tapering wick communicating with the source of fluid fuel and feedableby the wick-feeding means to the flame so as to increase the meancross-sectional area of that portion of the tapering wick leading tothe'flame from the source of fluid fuel.

6. Fuel-burning apparatus comprising a source of fluid fuel, a burnerproper, a wick of variable cross-sectional area having a fuel- "feedingsection extending from the source of fluid fuel to the burner proper andadapted to feed fuel to the burner by capillary attraction, andautomatic wick-feeding apparatus cooperative with the wick to feed thesame to the burner and bysuch feeding movement increase the meancross-sectional area of the fuel-feeding section of the wick.

7 Fuel-burning apparatus comprising a source of fluid fuel, automaticwick-feeding mechanism including a controlling float buoyed by the fluidfuel in the source, and a tapering wick communicating with the source offluid fuel and feedable by the automatic wick-feeding mechanism to theflame so as to increase the mean cross-sectional area of that portion ofthe tapering wick leading to the flame from the source of fluid fuel.

8. Fuel-burning apparatus comprising a source of fluid fuel, a fuel-wickcommunicating therewith, and a wick-feeding float buoyed upon the fluidfuel in the source and movable by variation in the fluid-fuel level andcooperative with the wick to feed it to the flame,

and a motion-multiplying device for multiplying the motion transmittedfrom the float to the wick.

9. Fuel-burning apparatus comprising a source of fluid fuel, a burnerproper, a fuelwick communicating with the source of fluid fuel andleading through the burner proper' and anchored at one point, awick-feeding float buoyed upon the fluid fuel in the fluid-fuel sourceand carrying a wick-feeding pulley engaging the fuel-wick between itsanchorage and the burner and cooperative with the fuelwick to draw itthrough the burner as the float falls with the level of fluid fuel.

10. Fuel-burning apparatus comprising a source offluid fuel,awick-feeding float buoyed by the fluid fuel in the source and movable byvariation in the fluid-fuel level and carrying a wick-feeding pulley, afuel-wick communleating with the source of fluid fuel and from one pointofimmersion in the fluid fuel extending through the seat of combustionand thence around the wick-feeding pulley and again into the fluid fueland to a fixed anchorage-point and such fuel-Wick being adapted toconvey fluid fuel by capillary action from both its aforesaid points ofimmersion to the seat of combustion and being movable through the seatof combustion by falling movement of the wick-feeding float.

11. Fuel-burning apparatus comprising a fluid-receptacle, a wick-feedingfloat buoyed on the fluid in such receptacle, and a fuelwick extendingfrom the wick to the seat of combustion and thence to a point ofconnection with the wick-feeding float, whereby the movement of thefloat feeds the wick.

12. Fuel-burning apparatus comprising a source of fluid fuel, afuel-wick communicating therewith at one point of immersion, awick-guide located in proximity to the seat of combustion, means fordrawing the fuel-wick over the wick-guide and through the seat ofcombustion, and a yielding tension device eooperative with thefuel-wick.

13. Fuel-burning apparatus comprising a fuel-wick, a wick-guide locatedin proximity to the seat of combustion, means for drawing the fuel-wickover the wick-guide and through the seat of combustion, and springsbearing upon the fuel-wick at either side of its area of ignitionexposed to the seat of combustion.

14. Fuel-burning apparatus comprising a a point of connection with thewick-feeding fluid-fuel tank, aremovable cover therefor, a heat.

burner proper secured to the cover, a wickfeeding float buoyed upon thefluid fuel in the fluid-fuel tank, and a fuel-Wick communicating at onepoint of immersion with the fluid fuel in the fluid-fuel tank and thenceextending through the burner proper and thence to In testimony whereof Ihave aflixed my signature 1n presence of two witnesses.

CLYDE J. COLEMAN.

